BRAZO – Green, Ultra-Stylish LED Lamp

Early in grad school, I purchased a halogen task lamp for my desk studies, but I grew tired of it for two reasons: it was too hot and the light was unbearable. So recently, I started looking around for a new, energy-efficient task lamp and Haworth was kind enough to send me a Brazo Task Lamp designed by Pablo Pardo of Pardo Designs. Brazo is a real award winner, taking both Best of Competition and Gold in Lighting for Best of NeoCon 2007. I knew it was going to be nice, but I really had no idea. Here’s my review …

Sustainability:
Brazo uses super-efficient LEDs for sustainability advantages. The LED lights are 85% more efficient than incandescents and have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. Brazo is also 90% recyclable, but I don’t plan on doing that anytime soon. The LED lights aren’t hot either, whereas with the the halogen lamp, I actually found myself turning up the AC because the temperature in my workspace was just out of control warm.

Functionality:
Brazo was designed to give you full control of how you use the light. It’s the first desk lamp to offer focus control (which means I can adjust the lamp to any desired light spread) in addition to full dim control. I love the dim control — I’m using the light at the computer/study desk right now and can turn the light down so others can watch TV in the background. The arm rotates in 360 degrees and upward 90 degrees; the height can be adjusted from 14 to 21 inches.

Design:
Brazo is an all around slick task lamp. I love the aluminum body and glass shade. Every detail of the lamp is taken care of and perfected. No screws or falling arms here, this lamp is legit. And I get nothing but compliments about it, too. Had some friends over recently that really liked the look. But my favorite design element of the lamp is the tactile, subtle grooves that are barely noticeable to the eye and give it the brushed aluminum look. That’s a nice touch.

Overall: I’ve never used or seen a better task lamp anywhere. It’s incredible, flexible, modern, and very green. It’s expensive, but that’s for two reasons, the LEDs and the design. You get what you pay for. So, I’m happy to say that the Brazo is my gateway to greater LED adoption.

UPDATE: by the suggestion of commenter Mike, I’ve taken some shots of the Brazo in action at home (click to enlarge). I don’t know anything about photography, so forgive the framing, etc. Note also my favorite chair, Haworth’s Zody. Got a little creative with the bottom shot.

It’s gorgeous! And while the LEDs are the best we can do – the manufacture of the aluminum body is has a huge carbon footprint. It’s nice that it can be recycled but that’s almost beside the point – you’re never going to throw it out are you?

I’ve got a good old Tolomeo desk lamp and with the advent of carbon footprint consciousness I simply screwed in a compact fluorescent bulb. Works great – good light, and generates relatively little heat. I suggest giving it a try before buying a new efficient lamp.

Thanks Preston,
It’s not that I don’t trust you, but somehow the character is so much more evident in a bad picture than a really good picture. I certainly appreciate the effort, and I really enjoy reading the blog. Thanks for all the hard work!

It’s gorgeous! And while the LEDs are the best we can do – the manufacture of the aluminum body is has a huge carbon footprint. It’s nice that it can be recycled but that’s almost beside the point – you’re never going to throw it out are you?

I’ve got a good old Tolomeo desk lamp and with the advent of carbon footprint consciousness I simply screwed in a compact fluorescent bulb. Works great – good light, and generates relatively little heat. I suggest giving it a try before buying a new efficient lamp.

It’s not that I don’t trust you, but somehow the character is so much more evident in a bad picture than a really good picture. I certainly appreciate the effort, and I really enjoy reading the blog. Thanks for all the hard work!

Hey there, I am thinking about using this lamp at a check writing stand for a bank project. Does the power cord come directly out the side of the base? Or does it come from the bottom and then route out the side? I want to be able to fix the lamp in place and have the cord disappear beneath.

The Brazo is a nice lamp. We have them at the office, but it was too expensive for me to have one at home when I have to foot the bill. I bought the EcoLight by IMG Lighting after reading all the great reviews about this LED Task Light. Its amazingly bright at 600 lux. Most of the LED lamps simply don’t put out enough light.

The dual warm and white LEDs with the touch sensor control also are big draws. I’m able to work longer with this light and my eyes don’t get fatigued as much.

Here is what they say about their light, and I have to say it lives up to the promise. They’ve got a nice section on their website that talks about dual white and warm LEDs, and color temperature. The IMG Lighting LED is light I’ll keep in my study for a long long time. Its affordably price too!

”EcoLight by IMG Lighting employs clean, stress free LED lighting technology that eliminates the￼ harsh whites of fluorescent and the yellow glare of incandescent bulbs. EcoLight improves worker productivity with clear, crisp, ultra bright illumination that is ideal for reading, computer lighting and office tasks. Employing power saving technology, EcoLight is an environmental friendly lamp that uses premium OSRAM 50,000 hour LEDs. These ultra long lasting LEDs require a fraction of energy that traditional lamps use. EcoLight is a lamp that pays for itself many times over with the money saved from reduced energy costs and no more bulbs to replace.

You’ll find that EcoLight contains the latest generation of touch sensitive controls that enable even the most minute of adjustments to brightness and color, dual cool white and warm white LEDs for a superior temperature color range, and a proprietary iris that focuses light to the work surface. Moreover, we exclusively use premium OSRAM LEDs in our products to ensure the highest quality color rendering and lighting sharpness. Our high-efficiency and ultra-bright LED lamps are affordably priced to bring environmentally friendly LED lighting products to the mainstream market. ”
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Specifications